Lots of touring these last two days.

We saw a bit more than half of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in three hours on Monday.  Granted we move slowly and Julia loves to read placards and listen to audio tours.  There are many rave reviews of this museum on the internet with which I totally agree.  My caveat being simply that you need a love of cinema and should have seen a healthy dose of Italian cinema in your lifetime to fully enjoy it.  Of course, Julia has never seen an Italian movie let alone watched the classics of  Zeffirelli, Rossellini, Visconti and Bertolucci and she enjoyed herself.  The museum is in the Mole Antonellina. Originally planned as a vast synagogue when Turin was briefly the capital of Italy and eventually  taken over by the city, it is a strange and fascinating structure.  We visited last year to go to the top of the tower and now we went to the museum.  I would love to know how it would have been utilized as a synagogue.  It might have been an excellent house of worship in its present incarnation for David.

Another repeat visit from last year was to the Santuario Basilica la Consolata.  It is not a very large church but it is intensely decorated with frescoes, marble and gold painted edging.  Many of the walls are lined with drawings and small badges commemorating the miracles and gifts of the Blessed Virgin Mary (“BVM”). In the front square you can see some remains of the old Roman city wall.  S explained that Consolata suggests that the BVM consoles us, which her many miracles demonstrate, but the word also suggests that we are responsible for consoling the BVM.  There is something sweet and fair and hopeful about this exchange between heaven and earth.

One more return visit was to Caffe Confeiteria, also called Caffe al Bicerin to have gelato with cafe e panna–whipped cream.  The original Bicerin-cafe, chocolate and cream- was a bit too hot for a hot day and there are so many more menu items to enjoy!